


The Perfect Day

by CaithyCat



Series: Tyrus Week 2018 [2]
Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Tyrus Week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 15:57:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15666480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaithyCat/pseuds/CaithyCat
Summary: Tyrus Week Day 2: Confession





	The Perfect Day

“Buffy! Hey! Hold up!”

TJ heard the girl groan as she turned around to face him. She looked clearly annoyed to see him.

“Yes, TJ?” she said in a polite tone.

“I need your help.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, she sighed.

“Look, TJ, I know I said I forgive you for being a jerk to me but it doesn’t mean I’m going to keep doing your homework.”

TJ almost felt offended at the remark, but he figured he deserved it. “I have a specialized tutor now, I think I’m good.” He steered the conversation back to the matter at hand. “And it’s… not that. I need your help… with Cyrus.”

The mention of her best friend seemed to have gotten Buffy’s attention. “What about him?”

Bringing a nervous hand behind his head, TJ couldn’t stop himself from feeling bashful all of a sudden. He had spent the entire night coaching himself on properly saying the words to convince Buffy to help him, but now that he was here in front of her, he felt like a mess.

But, nonetheless, he squared his shoulders back. “Can you tell me about… the things he likes?”

Buffy raised an eyebrow. “The things he likes? You don’t know them? I thought you two got close while I was gone.”

“We did,” TJ answered, quickly. “I mean, I know that he loves baby taters and milkshakes. And that he enjoys chocolate chip muffins in the mornings. And that he’s fascinated by dinosaurs and outer space.”

“So… you do know what Cyrus likes. What do you want to do with that information?”

TJ swallowed, nervously. “Um… I… Well… I kind of… Want to give him… The perfect day.”

Now, Buffy looked even more confused than ever. “It’s not his birthday, you know.”

“I know. I just…”

TJ wasn’t sure if he could trust her yet.

But, his expression must have given something away because Buffy’s eyes suddenly widened, as if realizing something.

“Hold on…” Her eyes narrowed at him. “Do you… like Cyrus?”

TJ swallowed. “Um…”

 

* * *

 

Humming softly to himself, Cyrus made his way towards Andi’s locker. It was lunchtime and he was starving! And, it was Thursday which meant chicken nuggets! He couldn’t wait!

“Hey, Andi-Mandi!”

His friend flashed him a confused look with an amused smile. “Andi-Mandi?”

He shrugged. “I just thought of it.” He looked around. “Buffy here yet?”

“Nope, but she said she’ll meet us here.” She closed her locker and turned towards Cyrus. Then, her eyes flickered to something behind him. “Oh, there she is.”

Cyrus spun on his heels to give his other best friend a greeting but stopped in his tracks.

A few ways away, Buffy and TJ were walking towards them, seeming to be in a deep conversation. Buffy was talking a million miles a minute and TJ was actually listening, intently.

Cyrus was glad that they were getting along so well and at that point, he really should be happy and popping party poppers or something. But, for some reason, he felt this strange discomfort in his chest. He knew he was supposed to smile at the sight of two people who were important to him talking like friends but his lips were set in a frown.

They were together… again. This was like the seventh time he had seen them alone, together, talking with their heads close to each other like they didn't want anyone else to hear them.

“Is it just me or have those two been spending A LOT of time together?” Andi asked.

“You noticed too, huh?”

“Yeah…”

They continued to watch the two basketball players, who were oblivious to their talk.

“Do you think… Buffy… likes TJ?” Cyrus nervously asked.

Beside him, Andi let out a snort. “I highly doubt that. TJ may be nice to her now but he was a jerk to her, remember? I doubt she would. I mean, personally, I wouldn’t go for a guy who did that to me.”

“Yeah, I guess…”

Besides, it wasn’t like Buffy or Andi was aware that Cyrus had a crush on TJ. That one, he opted to keep to himself, this time, to avoid the same mess as last time. Crushing on your best friend’s boyfriend? It was torture, though he tried to pretend it didn’t bother him when it did.

Nope, it was best to just not reveal it at all. What was the point? It was another typical "boy and girl hate each other but realize they're in love" kind of scenario. He had watched many movies to already know that. 

Up ahead, Buffy and TJ had stopped walking. TJ smiled and said something to Buffy who smiled back and gave him a thumbs up. Then, TJ looked ahead and saw Cyrus and Andi watching them. He waved at them before turning on his heels and walking in the opposite direction.

Now, Cyrus pouted. The older boy didn’t even come over to talk.

“Hey,” Buffy greeted.

“Hey,” the other two replied and they began to walk towards the cafeteria.

“So… you and TJ are getting along really well,” Cyrus began.

Buffy shrugged. “I guess. I mean, the guy apologized. Might as well accept it.”

Cyrus smiled. “He’s trying,” he said, softly.

Buffy's face softened. “Yeah, I know.”

“So, you two looked like you were talking about something serious back there,” Andi stated and Cyrus could almost kiss her for unknowingly bringing it up before he could.

“Oh, uh, it was nothing big. Just basketball stuff.”

“You two have been spending a lot of time together too,” Cyrus added, trying to sound casual.

“Like I said. Just basketball stuff. By the way, what are you two doing this weekend?”

Random question but okay.

“I’m helping Bex at Cloud Ten in the morning but I don’t have plans in the afternoon,” replied Andi.

Cyrus shrugged. “Nothing, really. Why? You wanna do something?”

“Uh… maybe. I’ll let you guys know.”

Buffy was acting a little strange and mysterious but Cyrus and Andi figured they would let it go…for now.

It was making Cyrus even more suspicious about the true nature between the two players. And to be quite honest, he wasn’t really thrilled about it. It was almost like déjà vu… except in this instance, he actually allowed himself to hope a little.

Maybe he shouldn’t have hoped in the first place.

 

* * *

 

Friday afternoon, Cyrus got a text that sent him reeling and almost screaming.

**Hey, Underdog. You doing anything Saturday?**

And that was how he found himself on Saturday morning, throwing shirt after shirt and pants after pants on his bed, looking for something to wear. He was supposed to meet TJ at the park in twenty minutes and he had already changed his outfit at least 3 times.

Checking his phone, he groaned. Make that eighteen minutes. He had to leave in the next minute or he would be so late for his date.

He paused at that thought. It was not a date. They were just hanging out. They were friends. Duh.

Shaking his head, the teen decided what he was wearing – a light blue button down, dark blue jeans, and his sensible sneakers – were decent enough. He quickly fixed his hair the best he could, grabbed his phone and wallet, and bounded down the stairs. He grabbed a light jacket from the coat rack and yelled out a quick, “I’m off!” to his parents.

He had exactly fifteen minutes to walk to the park so he sped walk. Halfway, though, he slowed down, not wanting to sweat and appear disheveled. He hoped TJ would understand if he was just a little late.

“Underdog! Over here!”

Cyrus’ heart unexpectedly began to speed up at the sight of the athlete waiting for him at the swings. Their spot. Looking very fly in a leather jacket.

Cyrus tried not to stare as he approached. “Hey, not-so-scary basketball guy!” He reached the older and looked up into the warm green orbs. “So, what's the plan for today?"

TJ just smiled and tilted his head in a direction and they began to walk exactly that way. Side-by-side. Hands ghosting against each other but not quite touching.

Cyrus’s hands felt sweaty all of a sudden and he subtly tried to wipe them on the side of his jeans.

It turned out that TJ was taking him to the Shadyside Museum of Natural History. It wasn’t a huge museum like the ones in the city but they had some cool exhibits. Cyrus loved going there to check out the dinosaur bones and the planetarium.

“I haven’t seen the dinosaur exhibit yet,” TJ casually said, as they stood in line for tickets. “Buffy mentioned you know it like the back of your hand so… maybe you can give me a tour?”

“Yes! Of course! It’s ah-mazing. They managed to borrow this humongous Tyrannosaurus Rex leg bone from the Natural History Museum in L.A. and lucky for you, they have it until the end of the year!”

They got their tickets and a map of the museum, though they didn’t really need it since Cyrus knew the layout by heart. But, TJ didn’t so it would be a nice souvenir. Besides, he was sure that TJ didn’t know about the sports history exhibit. Cyrus would just wait for him to see it.

“Whoa…” TJ breathed as they stood in front of the giant fossil displayed inside a glass case.

Cyrus smiled, happily. “Cool, huh? They have roughly around 200 bones in their body, which is eerily similar to how many we have. And, so far, only around 50 T-rex specimens have been found.”

“Wow…”

Cyrus was completely in his element and for once, it was TJ in awe of him. He was feeling really confident so he took out his phone.

“Wanna take a pic?” he asked the older boy.

“Sure!”

They posed beside the bone, shoulders touching with TJ slightly bending down so their heads were level.

“Say, prehistoric!” Cyrus piped, holding the camera in front of them.

“Prehistoric!” TJ repeated.

Cyrus snapped the photo.

“Promise to send that to me?” TJ asked.

The younger boy fought a blush. “Of course!”

It had only been the first hour of their day together and Cyrus was already having the best time.

 

* * *

 

TJ had gone on very few dates in his 14 years of life. His first “date” was a play date between him and the daughter of his dad’s co-worker when he was 7. He and the girl fought over crayons and she cried and refused to play with him again. His second date was with a girl named Stephanie back in the seventh grade when she asked him to get frozen yogurt with her after school. Turned out she was only trying to make her boyfriend-but-not-really jealous because he started hanging out with another girl. 

He considered his day with Cyrus a date but the problem was, Cyrus probably didn’t even know it was one. He probably just thought they were hanging out like they normally did. Except, TJ made meticulous plans to make sure this one stood out the most because this was finally the day.

The day to make his move and tell Cyrus how he felt.

He was graduating from middle school and moving on to high school in just a few short weeks. And he figured he had nothing to lose. Whether Cyrus accepted or rejected him, at least TJ would know that he tried.

So, he had swallowed his pride and asked Buffy for help. He figured, as Cyrus’ best friend since the second grade, she would know how best to give him the perfect day. And, although reluctant at first, she eventually agreed.

After the dinosaur bone exhibit, Cyrus had led him to the solar system exhibit.

The way the younger boy’s eyes lit up with such genuine joy, the way his smile was practically up to his ears as he chattered on and on about various facts, and the way his arms and hands flew in every direction as he gestured with passion – they were so beautiful to TJ.

After the solar system exhibit, Cyrus had led him to the sports history section. TJ didn’t even know that the museum had it and he couldn’t believe that Cyrus had decided to take him there. The boy was seriously too sweet, TJ was afraid of falling too hard and too fast and landing on his face.

“That was so much fun!” Cyrus piped, happily as they walked out of the museum and down the sidewalk. “We should go back again sometime! I took an events schedule so we can check them out! I mean… if you want to.”

TJ just smiled. “Sounds good. We’ll make it a date.”

At the word “date”, Cyrus’s cheeks turned red and he turned his head to the side, bashfully.

Gosh, he was so darn cute.

“So, should we grab something to eat?” the younger boy asked, still not looking at TJ.

The athlete looked at his phone, checking the message he just got, before clearing his throat. “Actually, will you go somewhere with me?”

Cyrus looked up and tilted his head to the side. “Sure. Where to?”

“It’s… a surprise, actually.”

And just like that, the younger boy’s eyes lit up again and he began to vibrate with excitement.

“A surprise? I love surprises! Are you gonna blindfold me?”

TJ, who was in the middle of taking out a blindfold from his jacket pocket, couldn’t help but laugh.

Buffy was right. Cyrus really did love clichés.

Going behind the younger boy, TJ wrapped the blindfold over his eyes, tying it securely behind the boy’s head. He caught a whiff of vanilla from the brown locks. Cyrus smelled really nice.

Catching himself, TJ shook his head to clear his head. “Does it feel okay?” he asked.

“Yep! Can’t see a thing at all!”

Smiling, TJ moved in front of him now. Cyrus was beaming with excitement and even though he couldn’t see them right at that moment because of the blindfold, TJ was sure that his eyes were sparkling too.

“I’m in your care!” said Cyrus before his smile turned soft. “I trust you.”

TJ felt his chest blossom with something akin to affection and pride. Sidling up to the younger boy, he placed his right arm over Cyrus’ shoulders and taking his left in his. TJ tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he began to lead the boy to their destination.

“Let’s go.”

As they walked, Cyrus chattered on, goading TJ to give him a hint.

“Just one tiny hint!” he pleaded.

“Underdog, it’s a surprise for a reason!”

“Please, please! Just one!”

“Okay. It involves some things you like.”

“Oh! So, is it a dinosaur? Wait, no, that’s ridiculous. A puppy? I love puppies.”

TJ made a note of that for later uses. “No, none of those. Now, stop guessing so when we get to the surprise, you’ll really be surprised.”

“Fine, fine. Ruin my fun. But, I guess having a surprise itself is pretty fun. Carry on.”

Laughing at the ridiculous but adorable boy, TJ carefully led him through grassy paths and under trees until they reached the spot.

Gently stopping Cyrus in their tracks, he was almost sad to let go.

“Wait here, okay? And keep that blindfold on.”

“But, I don’t like waiting! Patience is not my best virtue.”

“It will be worth it!”

TJ jogged ahead to the spot and checked if everything was ready. Impressive. Buffy and Andi did a great job setting it up.

He turned back to Cyrus. “Okay. You can take off the blindfold.”

“Yay!” Cyrus reached up with both hands to his face and brought the blindfold down, not bothering to untie it.

TJ gestured with his arms at his surprise.

“Surprise,” he said, beaming.

Cyrus stood open-mouthed at the picnic spread in front of him. There was a cliché red and white checkered blanket on the grass and on top of it was a large woven picnic basket.

“This… this is amazing, TJ!” Cyrus exclaimed, walking closer and plopping down on the blanket. He eyed on the basket. “Can I?”

“Go ahead.”

TJ sat a few ways from him, the picnic basket between them. Eagerly, Cyrus opened the top and began taking out the contents.

“Baby taters!... Milkshakes, wow, they’re still cold… No way, chocolate chocolate chip muffins!”

He laid them all out on the picnic blanket, his eyes shining in delight at seeing all of his favorite foods. Then, he turned to TJ with a soft look.

“You did all this for me?”

 “I had some help from Buffy. We’ve been planning this since last week.”

Before meeting Cyrus, he had met up with Buffy to give her the blanket and the basket along with the homemade chocolate chocolate chip muffins he had asked his sister to help him make the night before. Meanwhile, Buffy went ahead and got the taters and milkshakes, to make sure they were still hot and cold by the time they arrived. According to her text earlier, Andi had finished at her mom’s salon early and wanted to help so they prepared the picnic together. Granted, TJ also promised them each a basket of baby taters, but he appreciated the help nonetheless. 

“That’s really sweet. But, why? It’s not my birthday. Wait…” Cyrus suddenly looked horrified. “Is it your birthday? And I didn’t know?!”

At his distress, TJ quickly shook his head. “No, it’s not my birthday! I swear! And it’s October 15, by the way.”

Cyrus breathed in relief before looking determined. “October 15. Got it. My birthday is-.”

“February 23. Buffy told me.”

“Oh.” Cyrus cutely puffed his cheeks. “So… is that why you and Buffy had been hanging out a lot? To prepare all this?”

“Yeah.”

“Ohhh.”

The expression on Cyrus’s face made TJ scrunch his eyebrows in confusion.

“What’s that face?”

“What face?”

“That face. Like you suddenly got the answer to a huge question.”

Cyrus blushed. “Well… like I said… you two were spending a lot of time together. So… I thought…”

And then, it dawned on TJ. “You… didn’t think that I liked her… did you?”

At Cyrus’ guilty expression, TJ almost laughed out loud. The notion was ridiculous! Him and Buffy?

“Buffy and I are barely even friends. We’re at this weird… limbo. I don’t think she’s completely forgiven me, even if she says she does. But, we’re getting there. I just… need to keep trying to be a better person.” He flashed Cyrus a soft smile. “You help me become that better person.”

Cyrus’s face softened.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed. It’s just… you know… You’re a boy… and she’s a girl… Isn’t that kind of obvious?”

TJ lifted an eyebrow. “Are you seriously quoting Avril Lavigne right now?”

“I’m… surprised you even know who she is.”

Turning red, TJ coughed to hide his embarrassment. “I have an older sister. Besides, about Buffy being a girl and me being a boy, that doesn’t mean anything.”

Seeming to be satisfied with that answer, Cyrus nodded but then tilted his head to the side, looking curious.

“So… why did you bring me here? And why did you go through so much effort to do all this?”

At that, TJ cleared his throat, willing his heart to stop beating so fast. This was it. He was finally doing it. Well, he was hoping they would eat and talk first, but they might as well get it over with now.

He could always give all the food to Cyrus if he decided to reject him and not want to spend another minute with him. That was his least ideal scenario but, it could happen and he had to be prepared. Besides, with the steady increase of butterflies in his stomach, he didn’t think he could eat anyway.

“TJ? Are you okay?”

The jock snapped out of his daze, realizing that he had been staring at air for a good while and Cyrus now looked worried.

“Yeah. It’s just… I’m scared… that after this, you wouldn’t want to hang out with me or talk to me anymore.”

Cyrus frowned. “Why wouldn’t I? We’re friends.”

TJ swallowed. “That’s the thing, Underdog. I don’t want to be friends.”

“Oh.”

Cyrus sounded hurt and TJ kicked himself for his terrible choice of words.

“I want to be more than friends!” he blurted out, before feeling his face flame in red.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, TJ closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them to meet Cyrus’s soft and confused brown ones. God, he could drown in those forever and he wouldn’t mind.

“I like you. Underdog… Cyrus… I like you. I like you a lot. I don’t know when it started or how or why. I just know that when I see you, my day just automatically gets better. When I talk to you on a bad day, it’s like a weight off my shoulders and I feel like I can take anything on. When you smile, I want to smile too. When you laugh, it’s like I’m hearing the most beautiful sound known to man. You make me want to be a better person. I _want_ to become a better person so I can be worthy of you. And even now, I’m saying all these cheesy things and I don’t know where the heck they came from but for some reason, they make sense to me. I like you, Cyrus. I really like you.”

Out of breath, TJ took several gulps of air, his chest heaving.

In front of him, Cyrus was just looking at him, a shocked expression on his cute face. He wasn’t saying anything and TJ feared that he had scared him with his confession.

And, then, a single tear fell from Cyrus’ eye and down his cheeks.

Alarmed, TJ shot forward, cupping his face to wipe it away. But, after his touch, more followed.

Suffice to say, TJ was now freaking out.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. Please don’t cry. Look, forget it, okay? Forget I said anything and-.”

Cyrus started to laugh, stopping TJ’s frantic words. The younger boy's face was wet with tears but he was smiling his biggest smile.

“D-Don’t be. Oh my god. TJ… You... I just… Wow… Is this real? Please tell me it’s real.”

Confused, TJ couldn’t answer.

“Please tell me that you liking me is real because I like you too.”

TJ’s heart skipped a beat as the words knocked the breath out of him. “You… you do?”

Laughing again through his sniffles, Cyrus nodded. “I’m sorry, I got a little emotional. I just didn’t think you would ever like me back. I thought… I would have to like you from afar.”

The joy that erupted in TJ’s chest could not be explained because he had never felt such elation in his entire life. Just hearing the words “I like you” from this adorable muffin of an Underdog made him feel like he was floating off the ground and flying into the sky, as cheesy and weird as that sounded.

“Well, now you can like me from nearby."

God, that was so cheesy but to his delight. Cyrus laughed. That beautiful, tinkling laugh. It truly was like music. Now TJ knew what those cliche love songs meant. 

"Cyrus… will you go out with me?” he asked in a soft voice.

Still blinking tears away, Cyrus nodded. “Yes. I would love to go out with you, TJ.”

Moving forward together, the two boys wrapped their arms around each other in a tight hug. They didn’t let go for a long time. And when they did, it was so TJ could scoot closer next to him so they could finally enjoy the picnic feast together. It was a celebration now.

Now that their feelings had been laid out bare in the open, they realized how famished they were.

As TJ piled baby taters onto a plate for Cyrus, the younger boy briefly turned away to look at his phone. A text had come.

“It’s Buffy and Andi. They said ‘Congratulations’.”

TJ's brows furrowed. “How did they know so fast?”

Cyrus gave him a knowing look. “Oh, trust me, they’re probably hiding in a bush nearby and watched the whole thing through binoculars.”

TJ felt his cheeks turn red as Cyrus’ phone ping-ed again.

“They said we’re gross.”

Letting out a chuckle, TJ handed Cyrus his plate. “It’s just the beginning. So, they better be prepared.”

Accepting the plate, Cyrus smiled. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

TJ could just grow wings and fly up into the sky right now. This truly was a perfect day. 


End file.
